The Sparrows of Edward Street

Elizabeth Stead

• Publisher: University of Queensland Press
• Year: 2011
• Topic: Literature
• eBook ISBN:
  9780702248108
• Subtopic: Australian & Oceanian History
• Index: Literature

A wonderfully witty and entertaining retelling of a little-known yet very important period of Australia's history, this is a fictionalized account of acclaimed Australian writer Elizabeth Stead's experiences in a 1940s postwar housing commission camp. It's November 1948, and the widowed Hanora Sparrow and her teenage daughters, Aria and Rosy, have fallen on tough times; when they move into a housing commission camp on the outskirts of Sydney, their spirits are low and their prospects few. While Hanora copes via various pharmaceutical offerings and Rosy with nothing other than indignity, the spirited Aria rises immediately to the challenge of keeping the family together in such trying circumstances. With her endless curiosity and lively sense of humor, Aria draws the Sparrow women into close friendships with other camp residents and supports her family through her work as a photographic model in the city. Despite the setbacks, Aria strives toward their eventual salvation.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Praise for The Sparrows of Edward Street
• Author Biography
• Title Page
• Dedication
• November 1948
• Spring to Summer – the Beginning
• The Camp
• A Curious Family
• The Cells of 19B Edward
• Mr Sparkle
• The Studio
• Camp Ghosts
• The Camp – December
• The Studio
• Preparations for a Cocktail Party
• Dress Rehearsal – December 22nd
• Opening Night
• Closing Scenes
• The Studio – ‘Loving’ Vegetables
• The Camp
• The Camp – Breaking News
• The Camp – the Royal Saturday
• The Royal Visit
• February 1949
• The Studio – A Curious Account of Substance?
• The Studio
• The Studio
• The Camp – Autumn
• With the Compliments of a Minister of the State Government blah blah
• The Camp
• The Camp – Winter
• The Studio
• Acknowledgements
• Imprint Page